Dam construction



Feb. 25, 1969 FElNER ET AL DAM CONSTRUCTION Sheet Original Filed May 5/VVNI'0P ALFRED FEINER RUDOLF' HAMANN CLEMENS SCHOPF BY ZUL ,M w

ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 25, 1969 FE|NER ET AL 3,429,130

DAM CONSTRUCTION Original Filed May 5, 1963 Sheet 3 of 2 ATTORNEYS.

3,429,130 DAM CONSTRUCTION Alfred Feiner, Porz-Westhofeu, and RudolfHamann and Clemens Schopf, Cologne-Poll, Germany, assignors to StrabagBan-A.G., Cologue-Deutz, Germany Original application May 3, 1963, Ser.No. 277,809, now Patent No. 3,299,642, dated Jan. 24, 1967. Divided andthis application Oct. 12, 1966, Ser. No. 586,250 Claims priority,application Germany, Nov. 14, 1962,

St 19,964 US. C]. 61-63 13 Claims Int. Cl. E02!) 7/06, 8/00; E01c 19/12ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This application is a division of applicationSer. No. 277,809, filed May 3, 1963 now Patent No. 3,299,642, whichclaims the process hereof.

The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for the installationof narrow, impermeable, internal barriers known as sealing aprons indams which are to include a water barrier. The invention findsapplication in earth dams such as those extending over the entirecross-section of a valley.

Hitherto, concrete forms have been used in the construction ofimpermeable internal barriers. The dam fill material or finely granularfilter material is dumped against the outside of the form, while thematerial for the impermeable barrier is placed between the walls of theform. The form must then be stripped off in order to be able to lay thenext layer on the dam. This process, however, is very time consuming,and when it is used for the construction of bituminous barriers, it hasconsiderable disadvantages.

The apron can be formed of any suitable material, such as, for example,material which can be compacted to a stable impermeable condition.Bituminous material (asphalt or asphalt cement) is a preferred material.Bituminous internal barriers, due to their greater density and uniformcomposition, may have a substantially slighter thickness than barriersmade of such natural impermeabilizing materials as clay, loam or clayconcrete and loam concrete. Whereas in the case of the latter athickness of one-third to one-sixth of the height of the dam isrequired, thickness of one-twentieth to one-fiftieth of the dam heightmay sufiice in the case of bituminous materials. The separations thatoccur due to the coming of the material as it is poured, however, are ofmuch greater consequence in the case of thin barriers, of course, thanin the case of thick ones. A great deal depends, therefore, upon thecare exercised by the personnel when placing the material in the forms,especially when the bituminous barrier material is, on the basis ofGerman Federal Patent 1,108,620, composed of a greater proportion ofcoarse-grained material.

With the prior art method, the form cannot be stripped off until after aconsiderable length of time, namely, not until all of the impermeablematerial has been placed between the walls of the form, and the pouringof the fill laterally of the form has been completed, and the layers ofmaterial have been leveled oif. Bituminous nited States Patent 9concrete hardens during this time, so that an intimate interlocking ofthe concrete with the grit of the adjacent fill material can no longertake place, and even the necessary tamping of the bituminous materialcan be performed but imperfectly.

According to the invention, the procedure is such that the materials ofthe sealing apron and of the adjacent (upstream and downstream) fill arepoured and graded to about the same level simultaneously andcontinuously along the course of the dam, while being separated from oneanother by parallel vertical or inclined partitions moving along theWork surface, whereupon the materials left directly in contact with oneanother after the partitions have passed are simultaneously tamped down.

The new method makes it possible to build up the dam in the vicinity ofthe waterproof barrier continuously, layer by layer, While at the sametime achieving a sharp separation (Without overflow into one another)between the material of the impermeable barrier and the lateral fill. Inthis manner, the assurance is obtained that the impermeable barrier hasa uniform thickness and contains no foreign matter from the adjacentearth fill that might adversely influence its impermeability andpermanence.

Owing to the continuous method of operation, although the materials areseparated by the moving partitions while they are being laid in place,they can come into direct contact with one another within a few seconds.The bituminous material is then still fully plastic and it can easily beintimately interlocked with the grit of the adjacent fill by the tampingwhich immediately follows, and it can be intensely compacted. In thismanner, an impermeable internal barrier is developed of accuratethickness which can be strongly compacted, and which is so intimatelyinterlocked with the load-bearing grit of the adjacent fill based on themethod of German Federal Patent 1,108,620, that the load-bearing mineralskeleton of the dam is also continued through the impermeable barrierand thus gives the dam a stability never before achieved.

The apparatus for the practice of the new method consists, according tothe invention, of two parallel partitions standing on edge, Whosedistance apart is equal to the thickness of the impermeable barrier,means for advancing the partitions along the work surface of the darn,means for pouring and leveling the fill material outside of the parallelpartitions on the upstream and downstream sides of the dam, means forpouring and leveling the impermeable barrier material between theparallel partitions, and vibrating tampers disposed rearwardly in theline of movement, behind the parallel partitions, for the simultaneouscompaction of the separately poured and leveled materials.

The parallel partitions permit the simultaneous but spatially separatepouring and leveling of the materials of the impermeable barrier and theadjacent fill, so that it will be impossible for them to spill over intoone another. Consequently, they give an absolute assurance that thestructure of the impermeable barrier will have the necessary homogeneityand a uniform thickness.

In further improvement of the invention, a hopper to contain theimpermeable barrier material is placed on the parallel partitions, thebottom opening of said hopper being located between said partitions. Inthis manner, it is brought about that the impermeable barrier materialspour from the hopper into the space between the partitions at a ratedependent upon the movement of the latter. This method of pouring theimpermeable barrier material entirely prevents the formation of conesand hence the separation of the material. It assures that the structureof the impermeable barrier will be entirely homogeneous.

Thus, the invention provides a method for erection of dams with aninternal sealing apron, the method involving: (a) advancing over thecourse on which apron is to be laid a pair of vertically extendingpartition walls spaced to provide a for-m for the transversecross-section of the apron, the partition walls being shorter in lengththan the dam, and progressively and simultaneously depositing materialfor forming the apron between the forms, and depositing fill materialadjacent and on the outer side of each of the forms, whereby as theforms advance over the course, the apron material and the fill are laidup side by side behind the forms; and compacting'the apron material andthe fill laid up side by side as aforesaid. In this manner, incrementsof the height of the darn can be formed and the procedure can berepeated to form the successive height increments of the dam.

The invention is further described in reference to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein embodiments thereof are set forth.

FIG. 1 is an elevation view partially in cross-section of apparatusaccording to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 33 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an elevation view of apparatus according to the invention, theapparatus including a vehicle for movement thereof over the area to beWorked;

FIG. 4a is a plan view of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 4;and

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 4.

In the various views, like reference characters indicate correspondingparts.

The apparatus of FIGS. 1 to 3 comprises two parallel partitions 1 and 2,made of sheet steel and standing on edge vertically or aslant, andseparated by a distance a (FIG. 3) which is equal to the thickness ofthe impermei able barrier 3. The partitions are rigidly fastened to oneanother by cross members to assure their parallelism. Their bottom edgeslie fiush with the wok surface and are driven over the work surfacealong the length of the dam in the direction indicated by the arrow 32and at the necessary working speed. The partitions may consist of aplurality of sections coupled together by articulation hinge connectionssuch as hinge 4. In this manner, they adapt themselves better to slightunevenness in the work surface without losing contact therewith atportions of their bottom edges.

The forward portion of the parallel partitions forms a shelter member 33having a peaked roof 5 covering the space between the forward part ofthe partitions, and at the front a nose plate 6 on the order of the bowof a ship is provided. Further, the shelter member is provided withearth bearing plates 16 to prevent the walls from digging into thematerial over which the apparatus travels. A leveling blade 7, which canbe raised and lowered, is provided for depositing of the fill materialalongside the impermeable barrier 3. It projects laterally of and beyondthe partitions 1 and 2 and sweeps the areas outside of the partitions.

On the rear portion of the parallel partition Walls is provided a hopper8 for the impermeable barrier material, the bottom outlet of whichempties into the area between the parallel partitions. Behind the hopper8 between the partitions, there is provided a regulating gate 9,

Y which is adjustable vertically by operation of the suspension rod 9aand determines the level at which the impermeable barrier material isspread.

A lateral traction bar 10 is fastened to the end of the parallelpartitions 1 and 2, and to it are hitched three vibrating compactors111, 12 and 13 of any known design. The outer two compactors, l1 and 13,operate in the area of the material graded by the leveling blade 7,while the middle one 12, compacts the material that is leveled ofl? bythe regulating gate 9. The middle compactor 12 can have a bottom platethat is heated by gas or oil burners (not shown) so as to prevent theadhesion to same of 1 the bituminous materials it is compacting.

The plane of the vibrations of the compactors 11 to 13 is preferablyinclined towards the horizontal, so that a component of motion will beimparted to the compactors in the direction of movement of the parallelpartitions. In this manner, accumulations of material at the forwardedges of the compactors will be prevented, such accumulations whichcould result in undesired lateral displacement of the material,especially in the surface area. The desired plane of vibration can beobtained by joining the vibrators. to the body of the apparatus by shortconnecting rods 35 in the manner that the points of connection at thecompactors is at a level below the points of connection to the body ofthe apparatus.

In operation of the device as thus far described, while the parallelpartitions 1 and 2 are being moved longitudinally in the direction ofthe arrow, the material being used as fill on the upstream anddownstream side of the dam, which is generally coarsely crushed stone,is dumped by a clamshell bucket 14, for example, in front of levelingblade 7 on the roofed portion of the parallel partitions. As'shown inFIG. 3, the material slopes down towards both sides of the parallelpartitions in the area of the leveling blade 7, and is scraped level bysame to a certain depth of, say, 20 to 25 centimeters. The sheltermember 33 is disposed on the front end of the apparatus and is formed sothat it overlies the course along which the apron material is to belaid. The roof 5 of the shelter member prevents fill material fromfalling along the course on which the apron material is to be laid. SeeFIG. 3. Simultaneously with the depositing of fill material impermeablelbanrier material, preferably bituminous material composed according toGerman Federal Patent 1,108,620, passes from the hopper 8 into the areabetween the parallel partitions at a rate determined by the speed ofmovement of the latter, and is there leveled by the regulating gate 9 toabout the same depth as the fill material outside of the parallelpartitions. As the partition walls move forward, the trailing end of thepartition walls are pulled out from the material leaving the apron andfill material laid up side by side behind the walls. Since they havebeen graded to about the same depth, there can be no overflow from theone to the other. The compactors are mounted on the body of theapparatus and as close to the partition walls as is convenient so thatthe compacting can be performed substantially as soon as the partitionwalls have been pulled through the material laying the apron and fill upside by side. The compactors are spaced from the rear end of thepartition walls in the order of several feet. Thus, after a few seconds,the materials come within the reach of the vibrating compactors 11 to 13and are simultaneously and uniformly compacted by them, while thedividing lines between the adjacent materials fall between two adjacentcompactors in each case. The loadbearing mineral grits of the adjacentmaterials are therefore tightly pressed together in the area of thedividing line and are perfectly interlocked with one another, so that,according to the teaching of German Federal Patent 1,108,620, a singleload-bearing skeleton develops throughout the entire dam that providesthe latter with outstanding static characteristics. The dam is built uplayer by layer to form successive height increments in the mannerdescribed above.

As previously mentioned, it is primarily bituminous materials that arebeing contemplated for the impermeable barrier, and they, of course,must be laid in the hot state. The hopper 8, therefore, is equipped withthermal insulation. In order to achieve a good bond between the layer ofmaterials put down in the preceding pass, which have already become coldand have been compacted, and the next layer, heating means 15, such asinfrared radiators, are installed between the parallel partitions 1 and2, and their radiation is directed against the bituminous layercompacted in the preceding pass so as to soften it to a depth of 2 to 3centimeters. Thus, it is brought about that the two layers will bondintimately to one another and at the same time their load-bearingmineral grains will completely interlock with one another, so that aseamless impermeable barrier results.

Instead of using the same material for both the upstream and downstreamfill, as shown and described, it is possible when the circumstancesrequire it, for a different composition of material to be used for thedownstream side than for the upstream side of the dam. The clamshellbucket 14 then has to drop the one material on the right side and theother material on the left side, next to the parallel partitions 1 and2. In this case, the spillage of one material over into the other isprevented by mounting a. vertical partition 51 on the peak of the roof5.

The apparatus represented in FIGS. 4 and 5 is selfpropelled andotherwise is the same as that represented in FIGS. 1 to 3. The referencenumbers of this schematic representation are therefore the same wherethe same components are concerned.

The parallel partitions 1 and 2 are rigidly alfixed to the hopper 8 forthe impermeable barrier materials, and they are suspended so as to beable to be raised and lowered together with the regulating gate 9 bymeans of the hydraulic cylinder 17 on the vehicle frame 18. The forcerequired for the forward movement of the partitions is transmitted fromthe vehicle frame through special pull rods 19, which are articulated tothe vehicle frame and to the partitions 1 and 2. The leveling blade 7 isalso articulated to the vehicle frame 18, and is raised and lowered bymeans of the hydraulic cylinder 20 in order to adjust the grade level.

The vibrating compactors 11, 12 and 13 are articulated to thetransporting vehicle and can be raised and lowered by means of the boom21 fastened to frame 18 and the hydraulic cylinder 22.

As represented in FIG. 4 in phantom, the shelter member 33 can be foldedupwardly so as to be in an out of the way position when not being used.The transporting vehicle travels on its crawler treads 23 or pneumatictires on the work surface created by the leveling blade 7 on the fillbeing deposited on both sides, and it is selfpropelled by a dieselengine which is also the source of energy for the hydraulic pump for theoperation of the hydraulic cylinders 17, 20 and 22, and is the source,through an electric current generator which it drives, of the electricalpower for the infrared radiators 15.

The position of the self-propelled apparatus when in operation, is asrepresented in FIGS. 4 and 5, and the manner of operation is the same asdescribed with reference to the schematic representation in FIGS. 1 to3. When traveling to another place of operation, and when turning at theends of the courses, the front portion of the parallel partitions 1 and2 is elevated as indicated in phantom in FIG. 411. Then the partitions 1and 2 are elevated by the hydraulic cylinder 17 and the vibratorycompactors 11 to 13 are elevated by hydraulic cylinder 22 to such anextent that the vehicle will have the necessary ground clearance totravel even at greater speeds.

Apparatus according to the invention was utilized to construct a dam 16m. in height and 130 m. in length. An internal sealing apron wascomposed of asphalt concrete containing mineral aggregate -25 mm. andwas applied at a temperature of l60-l80 C. The height of material(asphalt concrete and fill) poured during each pass or course, was 0.25m., and this height of material was compacted to 0.20 m. by the trailingcompactors. The speed of the equipment was at an average of about 0.7 m.per minute and, for the work described here, can vary from 0.1-2 m. perminute. About m. per hour of compacted asphalt concrete was applied. Thedrive capacity for the equipment was about 8.5 H.P. The vibratingcompactors were excited by eccentrically mounted rotating weights at afrenquency of about 27 Hz. The centrifugal force of the eccentricweights was 2000 kg. each, and the drive capacity of each vibrator wasabout 7.5 H.P.

While the invention has been described with respect to particularembodiments thereof, various alterations and modifications will occur tothose skilled in the art, and it is intended to secure by these LettersPatent all such embodiments.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus suitable for use in erection of dams with an internalsealing apron comprising:

(a) a pair of movable, vertically extending partition walls fixedlyjoined together in spaced relation to provide a form for the transversecross-section of the apron, said wall being longitudinally movable;

(b) means for-depositing apron material between said walls as the wallsare moved longitudinally so that the apron material extends upwardlyfrom the level of the bottom edges of the walls;

(0) means for depositing fill material adjacent and on the outer side ofeach of the forms as the walls are moved longitudinally so that the fillmaterial extends upwardly from the level of the bottom edges of thewalls;

whereby the apron material and the fill material can be laid up side byside behind the forms, and

(dlmeans for compacting the apron and fill material laid up side by sideas aforesaid.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, said means for compacting comprisingcompactors joined with the partition walls for travel therewith, andbeing disposed for progressively compacting the apron and fill materialsubstantially as said material is laid up side by side as aforesaid.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, and comprising a shelter member, saidshelter member extending longitudinally outwardly of said partitionwalls for travel in advance of the partition wall over the course to betraversed by the partition walls, said shelter member includ ing a roofportion for preventing deposit of material on the course of thepartition walls in advance of the partition walls, said means fordepositing fill material being positioned to deposit such material inadvance of the partition walls and laterally of said shelter member,said shelter member preventing the fill material from falling onto thecourse for the apron.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, and including a partition extendingvertically upward from the roof of said shelter member, whereby theapparatus is accommodated for depositing different kinds of fillmaterial on the respective sides of the sealing apron.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, each of said partition wall beingformed of at least two longitudinally extending sections, said sectionsbeing joined together for articulation, whereby unevenness of the courseover which the partition walls are moved can be accommodated.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, said means for depositing apronmaterial between the partition walls including a hopper disposed fordelivery of apron material to between the partition walls.

7. Apparatus according to claim 3, said means for depositing apronmaterial between the partition walls including a hopper positioned fordelivery of apron material to between the partition walls.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1, and including means for heating thecourse along which apron material is to be deposited between saidpartition walls, is advance of the deposit of apron material between thepartition walls by the said means for depositing apron material.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1, and including a transporting vehicle,said partition walls being mounted on the vehicle.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, the means for depositing apronmaterial between the partition walls being a hopper, said hopper beingmounted on said vehicle, the means for depositing fill material being aplow mounted on said vehicle, said partition walls being joined to saidvehicle frame by articulation rod permitting movement of the partitionwalls to compensate for unevenness of the course along which the apronis to be laid.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said means for compactingcomprises a compactor mounted on the vehicle and positioned forcompacting material substantially as it is laid up side by side behindthe partition walls as aforesaid.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11, said vehicle having a front end anda rear end, said eompactor being mounted on the rear end of saidvehicle, the partition wall being disposed under said vehicle andextending longitudinally thereof for movement along a course over whichapron is to be laid upon advance of the vehicle, a shelter memberextending longitudinally of the vehicle in advance of the front endthereof for travel over the course along which apron is to be laid inadvance of the partition walls, said shelter member including a roofportion for covering the apron course and preventing material fromdropping onto said course prior to the positioning therealong of thepartition walls, the means front end of the vehicle and for working fillmaterial for depositing fill material being disposed adjacent the overthe said shelter member to the outwardly disposed sides of the sheltermember, mounting means for the shelter member for permitting selectivemovement of the shelter member to an inoperative position to facilitaterunning of the vehicle when the shelter member is not being utilized.

13. Apparatus according to claim 1, and including means for leveling theapron material deposited between the walls.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,351,593 6/1944 Barber 94-462,539,063 1/1951 Ekenstam 61-63 2,551,110 5/1951 Fuller 61-63 2,589,6343/1952 Shook 61-63 2,885,861 5/1959 Jackson 6l63 DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKI,Primary Examiner.

J. KARL BELL, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 61--3l; 94-46 Teuterberg 202.1 Div.

222 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.3,429,130 Dated F r ary 25, 1969 invencor(s) Alfred Feiner. e1; ail.

It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent andthat said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

1. Col. 8; iines l and 2, interchange these two lines.

' SIGNED AND r SEALED AUG 4 .1970

a, em) Anew 4 0m e Oomissibnar o1 Patuts

